19 | minsung

33

when minho arrived in front of the dorm, anticipation painted his face as he eagerly pushed open the door. however, disappointment replaced excitement when only the chilly, empty dorm room covered in darkness greeted him.

audibly sighing, minho stepped inside, dragging his feet with a slightly slouched posture. making his way to the living room, he violently threw his bag to the side before sinking into the soft couch.

a battle unfolded within minho – his mind assuring him that jisung was probably just busy with studying, while his heart beat with uneasiness, signaling concerns that jisung might not like him anymore, hence the avoidance.

allowing his emotions to take over briefly, minho decided to distract himself. he stood up, headed to his room, and exchanged his slightly damp hoodie for a comfortable oversized pink sweatshirt with a cat doodle printed on it. paired with snow-colored pajamas and fuzzy socks, he embraced the cozy ambiance that the gloomy room offered.

returning to the living room, he kicked his bag to the side, his actions reflecting his unenthusiastic mood. propping himself on the couch, he turned on the tv and absentmindedly changed the channels.

determined to have the awaited talk with jisung, minho decided to wait, thinking, 'he'll come back sooner or later.' as the soft murmurs from the tv echoed through the quiet space, minho found himself dozing off, eventually falling asleep on the couch. one hand rested atop his abdomen, while the other dangled from the side of the couch.

-----

"tada! it's my gift for you!"

"do... you like it? i made sure it's something law-related and one you can bring with you anywhere..."

"anyways, good luck with law! if you're ever stressed... given your demanding program..."

"i'm here, everyone's here for you, sungie."

"i'll always be beside you."

"because... i. love. you."

jisung snapped out of his trance, the glimmer in his eyes absent, his chapped lips slightly open, and his extended hand hovering over the doorknob as his mind replayed some memories. those words were the ones he heard when he was at the rooftop. for some reason, jisung doesn't remember those memories, yet his body seems to. it was like there's a huge black hole in his head that seemed to suck certain memories, leaving only a few. but now, unfamiliar memories began resurfacing, and that made jisung feel fear— fear of what memory might resurface next.

at the same time, when he heard those words echoing in his head earlier, he couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort. it was like he could vividly remember a wide smile gracing his lips, a blush spreading across his cheeks, as well as his heart beating in joy when those words were said to him.

unconsciously, jisung placed his extended hand atop his chest, feeling his heart. his face then turned into a grimace at the sensation that his heart now felt empty, like a void, a contrast to what he momentarily felt when those memories flashed in his mind.

jisung shook his head, retrieving his hand from his chest and gripped the doorknob with it, cautiously opening the door to their dorm.

the younger felt guilty for avoiding minho the whole day, yet he had to— he needed to. he was scared of the things his mind and heart had been telling him to do. but now, he couldn't bear the thought of upsetting the older further, so he decided to head back to the dorm.

slowly, jisung stepped inside the quiet and cold space, his ears immediately picking up the soft murmurs coming from the tv. noticing that the tv was turned on, jisung decided to head to the living room, taking small and cautious steps just in case minho was already resting.